Republican Party Initiative #46: Punish Peaceful Protesters with 25 Years in Prison

What exactly are these "core values" the Republican Party keeps talking about? Perhaps the best way to tell is not to watch what operatives of the Republican Party say, but rather to watch what they do. The actions of politicians, after all, affect our lives much more strongly then their words. The core contention of Irregular Times'"The Real GOP" is that Republican Party operatives routinely engage in policy actions that most Americans regardless of party affiliation would consider bizarre in their extremism. The core values of the Republican Party in action don't match the core values of everyday Republicans, not to mention the American public in general.

An excellent case in point emerged in the Oregon State Senate in the month of March 2003. Republican Senator John Minnis brought forth legislation, the central text of which you can read below (and the complete text of which you can read here). The impact of the bill can be summed up simply:

If you engage in civil disobedience that involves:

Blocking traffic

A "sit-in" at a high school, college or university

Picketing a local politician's office, or

The barricading of a Starbucks,

Or if you take part in a political demonstration in which someone does any of these things,

Or if you are planning to engage in such civil disobedience,

Or if you are planning to take part in a political demonstration in which someone will do any of these things,

Then by law you are guilty of TERRORISM and are subject to LIFE IMPRISONMENT, with actual time served to be an absolute minimum of TWENTY FIVE YEARS.

Is this what you stand for? Can you and your loved ones afford to keep these people in power?

If your answer is "no" and you are a Republican party member, then it may be time for you to leave a party that has clearly left you.

If your answer is "no" and you are not a Republican, consider volunteering your time and efforts to keep the Republican Party agenda from ever being implemented. While we still have a political system of representative democracy, the best way to do that is to donate your time, money and vote to the cause of stemming the Republican tide.

SECTION 1. (1) A person commits the crime of terrorism if
the person knowingly plans, participates in or carries out any
act that is intended, by at least one of its participants, to
disrupt:
(a) The free and orderly assembly of the inhabitants of the
State of Oregon;
(b) Commerce or the transportation systems of the State of
Oregon; or
(c) The educational or governmental institutions of the State
of Oregon or its inhabitants.

(2) A person commits the crime of terrorism if the person
conspires to do any of the activities described in subsection (1)
of this section.

(3) A person may not be convicted of terrorism except upon the
testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act or upon
confession in open court.

(4)(a) A person convicted of terrorism shall be punished by
imprisonment for life.
(b) When a person is convicted of terrorism under this section,
the court shall order that the person be confined for a minimum
of 25 years without possibility of parole, release to post-prison
supervision, release on work release or any form of temporary
leave or employment at a forest or work camp.

Uncover more planks in the Republican Party Platform with a visit to The Real GOP